Children’s social care is under significant strain with more families being investigated, higher numbers of children in care and spiralling costs as money is increasingly spent on crisis intervention, an independent report has found.
Pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are not getting the support they need, with 47 of 94 local areas inspected by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission found to have ‘serious weaknesses’.
Local authority children’s services have been reduced to “crisis-driven fire-fighting” as a result of years of under-investment, children’s charities have warned.